BEACH (n.) (1) The zone of unconsolidated material that extends 

 landward from the low water line to the place where there is 

 marked change in material or physiographic formoooor to the line 

 of permanent vegetation (usually the effective limit of storm 

 waves) o The seaward limit of the beach - unless otherwise spe- 

 cified - is the mean low water line. A beach includes FORESHORE 

 and BACKSHOREj (2) Sometimes, the material which is in more or 

 less active transports alongshore or on-and-off shore^ rather 

 than the zone. TSee Figure A-l) 



BEACH ACCRETION - See ACCRETION. 



BEACH, BARRIER - A bar essentially parallel to the shore, the crest 

 of which is above high water level. Also OFFSHORE BARRIER. 



BEACH BERM - A nearly horizontal portion of the beach or backshore 

 formed by the deposit of material by wave action. Some beaches 

 have no berms, others have one or several,, 



BEACH CUSP - One of a series of low mounds of beach material separated 

 by crescent shaped troughs spaced at more or less regular intervals 

 along the beach face. Also CUSP. 



BEACH EROSION - The carrying away of beach materials by wave action, 

 tidal currents, or littoral currents, or by wind. 



BEACH FACE - The section of the beach normally exposed to the action 

 of the wave uprush. The FORESHORE zone of a BEACH. (Not 

 synonymous with SHOREFACE) « (See Figure A-2) 



BEACH, FEEDER - An artificially widened beach serving to nourish down- 

 drift beaches by natural littoral currents or forces. 



BEACH RIDGE - An essentially continuous mound of beach material be- 

 hind the beach that has been heaped up by wave or other action. 

 Ridges may occur singly or as a series of approximately parallel 

 deposits o In England they are called FULLS. 



BEACH SCARP - An almost vertical slope along the beach caused by 



erosion by wave action. It may vary in height from a few inches 

 to several feet^ depending on wave action and the nature and 

 composition of the beach. (See Figure A-l) 



BEACH WIDTH - The horizontal dimension of the beach as measured normal 

 to the shoreline. 



BENCH - (l) A level or gently sloping erosion plane inclined seawardj 

 (2) A nearly horizontal area at about the level of maximum high 

 water on the sea side of a dikeo 



A-3 



